PIRANHA 3, 4 & 5 OPERATION GUIDE

Thank You Powering ON and OFF

Thank you for purchasing a Piranha fishfinder from Press and release POWER-MENU to power the Piranha on. Press
Humminbird, America’s #1 Manufacturer of quality con- and hold POWER-MENU until the unit shuts down to power off.
sumer marine electronics When Piranha powers on, the Start Up menu temporarily
WARNING! This device should not be used as a appears. From this menu, select either Start-Up for on-the-water
navigational aid to prevent collision, grounding, boat use, or Simulator for learning to use
damage, or personal injury. When the boat is moving, the system with simulated sonar data.
water depth may change too quickly to allow time for you The Start-Up menu disappears after
to react. Always operate the boat at very slow speeds if several seconds and the Piranha
you suspect shallow water or submerged objects. begins operation.

Installation Overview
Screen
Use the included installation guide to properly install your new
Piranha. Installation must be done correctly to ensure best per- Left Arrow Button
formance.
Power/Menu Button
Using the Piranha
The Piranha is the easiest to use fishfinder ever. For most Right Arrow Button
anglers, all you’ll ever need to do is Power On & Fish! The
What You See On Screen
Piranha automatically determines depth and makes adjustments
The Piranha displays underwater information in an easy-to-
to keep the bottom and fish visible on the display.
understand format. The top of the display corresponds to the
The Piranha uses sonar technology to send sound waves from water surface, and the bottom of the display corresponds to the
the transducer into the water. The returned “echoes” are plotted Depth Range automatically selected for the current water depth.
on the Piranha’s LCD display and create a very accurate picture The Bottom Contour varies between the two as the depth under
of the underwater world with distance to underwater objects the boat changes. Digital readouts provide precise information
such as the bottom, fish and structure. for depth, fish and water temperature (separate purchase may
be required).

Water Surface Line

Depth – Measured at the Transducer
Water Temperature Capable
(Optional purchase required)
Fish Icons
Fish ID Symbol w/ Fish Depth
Structure ID™ Bottom Contour
Depth Range*
Understanding the On-screen Images Light
As the boat moves, terrain and bottom composition variations (Setting Not Saved in memory,
are displayed on-screen. Fish, bait fish and thermoclines (under- Defaults to OFF)
water temperature changes) are displayed when detected. Press POWER-MENU until the LIGHT menu appears. Select either
Underwater conditions vary greatly, so some experience and OFF, LOW or HIGH to activate the backlight at the desired level.
interpretation is needed to realize all the benefits of the Piranha Note: Continuous backlight operation significantly
– use the picture below as a guide to the most common condi- decreases battery life on Piranha Portables.
tions and practice using the Piranha over known bottom types.
Sensitivity
Water Surface Line (Setting Saved in Memory, )
Depth – Measured at the Transducer Press POWER-MENU until the
SENSITIVITY menu appears. Select a higher number to show
Thermocline smaller sonar returns on-screen, or a lower number to remove
clutter from the screen. Adjusting Sensitivity also affects how
Bait fish
sonar returns are identified as
Fish ID+
Fish ID Symbols - more fish will
be detected at a higher setting,
Structure
fewer at a lower setting. 5 is the
Factory Setting.
Rocky Bottom Depth Contour Soft Bottom Hard Bottom Low Sensitivity
Accessing Menu Features Normal Sensitivity
A simple menu system accesses Piranha’s adjustable features.
To activate the menu system, press POWER-MENU and a menu High Sensitivity
appears. Press POWER-MENU repeatedly to access other
Piranha menus one at a time. When a menu is on the display,
use the right and left arrow keys to adjust the menu. Menus
Depth Range Menu
automatically are removed from the screen after several sec-
(Setting Not Saved in Memory,
onds. Defaults to Auto)
Note: Each time POWER-MENU is pressed, the backlight Press POWER-MENU until the Depth Range menu appears.
momentarily illuminates for easy viewing at night. Adjust Select AUTO to have the Piranha automatically select the Depth
the Light menu setting to keep the light on. Range or manually select 15, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, 360, 480
Note: If Simulator Mode is selected from the Startup Menu and 600 ft. This locks the depth range to a specific setting.
and a transducer is plugged in, menu settings are saved in Note: In manual operation, if the depth is greater than the
memory. Menu settings are not saved from Simulator depth range setting, the bottom will not be visible on-
mode without a transducer connected. screen. Select AUTO to return to automatic operation.

Menu Title
Zoom
Setting (Setting Not Saved in Memory,
Button Changes Defaults to OFF)
Press POWER-MENU until the Zoom menu appears. Select AUTO
A button has no function when to magnify the area around the bottom thus revealing fish and
the menu arrow is not displayed. structure close to the bottom that may not be visible in typical
operation. In AUTO, the Piranha continually changes the upper
and lower Depth Range to keep area just above and below the
bottom on the display. Select OFF to return to normal operation.
(illustration top of page O-13)

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 Upper Zoom Range Bottom View Menu
(Setting Saved in Memory)
Press POWER-MENU until the
Structure Bottom View menu appears. Select Structure ID to gain bottom
hardness and enhanced structure definition; Select Bottom
Black for a high contrast, easy to view from a distance, bottom
Magnified Bottom
picture. Select Whiteline® for automatic analyzation of bottom
with More Detail return, showing more structure detail. The strongest returns will
be displayed with a gray checkerboard pattern, bounded by
black borders defining shapes. Use this feature for easy and
Lower Zoom Range quick views of the details you need to see.

Depth Alarm
(Setting Saved in Memory, Defaults
to Off)
Press POWER-MENU until the DEPTH ALARM menu appears.
Select OFF for no Depth Alarm; select a number from 1-30m to
set the alarm depth point and turn it on. An audible alarm
sounds when the depth is equal to or less than the setting.
Note: Depth can be set in tenths of a metre from 1 to 9.9m
and in full metres from 10m to 30m. Bottom Black Mode

Fish Alarm
(Setting Saved in Memory)
Press POWER-MENU until the Chart Speed
FISH ALARM menu appears. Select OFF for no fish alarm, or one (Setting Saved in Memory)
of the following symbols to set the alarm point and turn it on. Press POWER-MENU until the Chart
menu appears. Select a setting from 1-5 to match your display to
• Alarms on big fish only. both boat speed and present depth. Faster speeds in shallow
• Alarms on big and medium fish only.
water should be matched with a higher chart speed setting while
slower speeds and deeper waters will best be viewed at a slower
• Alarms on all fish.
setting. Become familiar with this feature by traveling the same
course over known bottom detail at various speeds and settings.
Fish ID Maintenance
(Setting Saved in Memory, )
Your Piranha is designed to provide years of trouble-free operation with vir-
Press POWER-MENU until the FISH ID menu appears. Select tually no maintenance. Follow these simple procedures to ensure your
either OFF to view “raw” sonar returns, or ON to take advantage Piranha continues to deliver top performance.
of Piranha’s ability to identify sonar returns that are determined If the unit comes into contact with salt spray, wipe the
to be a fish. A select number of possible fish returns will be dis- affected surfaces with a cloth dampened in fresh water.
played with depth. Do not use a chemical glass cleaner on the lens - this may
Fish ID cause cracking in the lens.
Raw Sonar
When cleaning the LCD protective lens, use a chamois and non-abrasive,
mild cleaner. Do not wipe while dirt or grease is on the lens. Be careful to
Note: Piranha 5’s dual beam feature indicates the depth of avoid scratching the lens.
the return and the beam that the return comes from. If your boat remains in the water for long periods of time, marine growth
Returns from the narrow beam are shown with solid fish can reduce the effectiveness of the transducer. Periodically clean the face of
icons while the wide beam returns are displayed with the transducer with liquid detergent.
hollow fish icons.

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If your boat remains out of the water for a long period of time, it may take 4. When in very shallow water, I get gaps in the bottom reading and
some time to wet the transducer when returned to the water. Small air bub- inconsistent digital depth indication.
bles can cling to the surface of the transducer and interfere with proper The Piranha will work reliably in water 1m (3') or deeper. The depth is
operation. These bubbles dissipate with time, or you can wipe the face of measured from the transducer, not necessarily from the surface.
the transducer with your fingers after the transducer is in the water.
5. The unit comes on before I press POWER, and won’t turn off.
Check the transducer cable — if the outer jacket of the cable has been cut
Never leave the unit in a closed car or trunk—the extremely high tempera- and the cable is in contact with bare metal, you will need to repair the cut
tures generated in hot weather can damage the electronics. with electrical tape. If there is no problem with the cable, disconnect the
transducer from the unit and see if the problem is corrected, to confirm the
Troubleshooting source of the problem.
Do not attempt to repair the Piranha yourself. There are no user serviceable
parts inside, and special tools and techniques are required for assembly to 6. I get gaps in the reading at high speeds.
ensure the waterproof integrity of the housing. Repairs should be performed Your transducer needs adjusting. If the transducer is transom-mounted, there
only by authorized Humminbird technicians. are two adjustments available to you—height, and running angle. Make small
adjustments and run the boat at high speeds to determine the effect. It may
Many requests for repair received by Humminbird involve units that do not take several tries to optimize high-speed operation. This can also be a result
actually need repair. These units are returned “no problem found.” If you have of air or turbulence in the transducer location caused by rivets, ribs, etc.
a problem with your Piranha, use the following troubleshooting guide before
calling the Customer Resource Center or sending your unit in for repair. 7. My unit loses power at high speeds.
1. Nothing happens when I turn the unit on. Your Piranha has over-voltage protection that turns the unit off when input
voltage exceeds 20 VDC. Some outboard motors do not effectively regulate the
Check the power cable connection at both ends. Be sure the cable is con- power output of the engine’s alternator and can produce voltage in excess of
nected correctly to a reliable power source — red lead to positive, black 20 volts when running at high RPMs. The SureVolt power stabilizer from
lead to negative or ground. Ensure the power available is between 8 and 20 Humminbird maintains a steady voltage to the unit and solves this problem.
VDC. If the unit is wired through a fuse panel, ensure the panel is powered.
Often accessory fuse panels are controlled by a separate switch or the igni- 8. The screen begins to fade out. Images are not as sharp as normal.
tion switch. Check the input voltage. The Piranha will not operate on input voltages
Also, often a fuse can appear to be good when it is not. Check the fuse with below 8 VDC.
a tester or replace it with a fuse known to be good. 9. The display shows many black dots at high speeds and high sensi-
Check the power connection to the Piranha. It is possible to force the power tivity settings.
cable connector into the cable holder incorrectly. If the connector is You are seeing noise or interference caused by one of several sources. Noise
reversed, the unit will not work. Examine the contacts on the back of the can be caused by other electronic devices. Turn off any nearby electronics
unit to ensure there is no corrosion. and see if the problem goes away. Noise can also be caused by the engine.
If engine noise is causing the interference, the problem will intensify at high-
2. There is no transducer detected. er RPMs. Increase the engine speed with the boat stationary to isolate this
The Piranha has the ability to detect and identify that a transducer is con- cause. Propeller cavitation can appear as noise on-screen. If the transducer
nected. When Powering on, if a message indicates “transducer not connect- is mounted too close to the propeller, the turbulence generated can interfere
ed”, ensure that an appropriate transducer connector is plugged into the with the sonar signal. Ensure that the transducer is mounted at least 15"
unit. Second, inspect the transducer cable from end to end for breaks, kinks, (380mm) from the prop.
or cuts in the outer casing of the cable. Also ensure the transducer is fully
submerged in water. If the transducer is connected to the unit through a
switch, temporarily connect it directly to the unit and try again. If none of
these items identifies an obvious problem, the transducer itself is probably
the problem. Be sure to include the transducer if returning the unit for repair.
3. There is no bottom reading visible on the display.
If the loss of bottom information occurs only at high boat speeds, the trans-
ducer needs adjusting – see the Piranha Installation Guide. Also, in very
deep water, it may be necessary to manually increase the sensitivity setting
to maintain a graphic depiction of the bottom. If you are using a transducer
switch to connect two transducers to the Piranha, ensure the switch is in
the correct position to connect a transducer that is in water. (If a trolling
motor transducer is selected and the trolling motor is out of water, no sonar
information appears.) If none of the above solve the problem, inspect the
transducer cable from end to end for breaks, kinks, or cuts in the outer cas-
ing of the cable. If the transducer is connected to the unit through a switch,
temporarily connect it directly to the unit and try again. If none of these
items identifies an obvious problem, the transducer itself may be the prob-
lem. Be sure to include the transducer if returning the unit for repair.

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 We reserve the right to deem any product unserviceable when replace-
TECHSONIC INDUSTRIES 1-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY ment parts are no longer available or impossible to obtain. This Service
Policy is valid in the United States only. This applies only to Humminbird
products returned to our factory in Eufaula, Alabama. This Service Policy is
We warrant the original retail purchaser that products made by Techsonic subject to change without notice.
Industries have been manufactured free from defects in materials and
workmanship. This warranty is effective for one year from the date of orig- Returning Your Unit for Service
inal retail purchase. Techsonic Industries products found to be defective Before sending your unit in for repair, please contact the factory, either by
and covered by this warranty will be replaced or repaired free of charge at phone or by email, to obtain a Repair Authorization Number for your unit.
Techsonic Industries' option and returned to the customer freight prepaid. Please have your product model name and serial number available before
Techsonic Industries' sole responsibility under this warranty is limited to calling the factory. If you contact the factory by e-mail, please include your
the repair or replacement of a product that has been deemed defective by product model name and serial number in the e-mail, and use Request for
Techsonic Industries. Techsonic Industries is not responsible for charges Repair Authorization Number for your e-mail subject header. You should
connected with the removal of such product or reinstallation of replaced or include your Repair Authorization Number in all subsequent communica-
repaired parts. tions about your unit.
This warranty does not apply to a product that has been: For IN-WARRANTY service, complete the following steps:
• Improperly installed; • Obtain a Repair Authorization Number from Techsonic Industries
• Used in an installation other than that recommended in the product Customer Resource Center.
installation and operation instructions; • Tag product with your customer name, street address, phone number
• Damaged or has failed because of an accident or abnormal operation; and your assigned Repair Authorization Number.
• Repaired or modified by entities other than Techsonic Industries. • Include a brief written description of the problem.
Please retain your original receipt as a proof of the purchase date. This • Include a copy of your receipt (to show proof and date of purchase).
will be required for in-warranty service. • Return product freight prepaid to Techsonic Industries, Inc., using an
THIS WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER WARRANTIES, insured carrier with delivery confirmation.
OBLIGATIONS OR LIABILITIES ON THE PART OF TECHSONIC INDUSTRIES For OUT-OF-WARRANTY service, complete the following steps:
AND WILL BE THE CUSTOMER'S EXCLUSIVE REMEDY, EXCEPT FOR ANY
APPLICABLE IMPLIED WARRANTIES UNDER STATE LAW WHICH ARE HERE- • Obtain a Repair Authorization Number from Techsonic Industries
BY LIMITED IN DURATION TO ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF ORIGINAL Customer Resource Center.
PURCHASE. IN NO EVENT WILL TECHSONIC INDUSTRIES BE LIABLE FOR • Include payment in the form of credit card number and expiration date,
ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR BREACH OF ANY money order or personal check. Please do not send cash.
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY RELATING TO THE PRODUCTS. • Tag product with your customer name, street address, phone number
Some states do not allow limitations on an implied warranty, or the exclu- and your assigned Repair Authorization Number.
sion of incidental or consequential damages, so the above exclusions may • Include a brief written description of the problem.
not apply to you. You may also have other rights, which vary from state to
• Return product freight prepaid to Techsonic Industries, Inc., using an
state.
insured carrier with delivery confirmation.
Techsonic Industries Service Policy
Even though you'll probably never need to take advantage of our incredi- CONTACTING HUMMINBIRD
ble service policy, it's good to know that we back our products this confi-
dently. We do it because you deserve the best. We will make every effort
to repair your unit within three business days from the receipt of your unit Contact the Humminbird Customer Resource Center in any of the
at our factory. This does not include shipping time to and from our factory. following ways:
Units received on Friday are typically shipped by the following Wednesday, By Telephone
units received Monday are typically shipped by Thursday, etc.
(Monday - Friday: 8: 00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Standard Time):
All repair work is performed by factory-trained technicians to meet exact-
ing factory specifications. 1-334-687-0503
Factory-serviced units go through the same rigorous testing and quality or
control inspections as new production units. After the original warranty By e-mail
period, a standard flat rate service charge will be assessed for each repair
(physical damage and missing parts are not included). Any repairs made (typically we respond to your e-mail within three business days):
after the original warranty will be warranted for an additional days after custserv@techsonic.com
service has been performed by our factory technicians. You can contact
For direct shipping, our address is:
our Customer Resource Center or visit our website to verify the flat rate
repair fee for your product (visit the Product Support section): Techsonic Industries, Inc.
Service Department
http://www.humminbird.com 108 Maple Lane
Eufaula, AL 36027 USA

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